You translated your store, but shoppers still see English, or a page shows a mix of both languages. In Translate & Adapt the content may be marked Translated, Outdated or Untranslated, and only the first one shows correctly. This guide explains what those statuses mean, why translations don't appear and how to fix them.
What the statuses mean
Shopify's theme troubleshooting guide uses three statuses. When a translation is missing, Shopify shows the content in your default language instead.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Translated | The content has translations available |
| Outdated | The default-language content changed, and the translation doesn't reflect the update |
| Untranslated | There are no translations for this content |
Common causes
Translations exist in one place and the storefront reads from another, or the language itself isn't live yet.
- Language not published: Shopify states that unpublishing hides a language from customers, and a language must be published to appear
- Language not on the domain or market: Languages are assigned to domains, and each market uses a domain
- Outdated content: You edited the original after translating, so the translation no longer matches
- Timing: After automatic translation, Shopify says translations take a few minutes to show, and larger stores can take a few hours
- Market override: Content was edited inside one market in the theme editor
- Not translatable: Shopify notes that if a field isn't in the Translations CSV, it isn't translatable, which often applies to some app content
Find the affected content
Check the language first, then the content.
- Language status: Go to Settings, then Languages, and confirm the language is published and assigned to the right domains
- Translate & Adapt: Open the language and look for Outdated or Untranslated items
- Theme editor: Use the Market drop-down to check whether the content sits in a specific market
- CSV export: Export translations from Settings, then Languages, to see whether the field is there at all
Fix it step by step
- Publish the language: In Settings, then Languages, open the language menu and choose Publish
- Update outdated items: Re-translate them by hand, or run automatic translation again for new content
- Fix market content: Move or copy the edit into the correct market in the theme editor
- Clear your view: Shopify suggests clearing cache and cookies, then trying incognito mode or another device
- Test apps: If a storefront app was recently installed or updated, Shopify suggests uninstalling it temporarily to see whether it is the cause
Prevent it
Most translation gaps come from editing the original after translating.
- ✅ Re-check translations after every product or theme edit
- ✅ Turn on Auto-sync if your store is eligible, but note Shopify says the first run can take up to a week
- ✅ Review drafts for accuracy before publishing
- ❌ Don't assume publishing a language translates it, since untranslated content falls back to your default language
See keep Shopify translations in sync for an ongoing routine.
Doing this at scale
LinguaFlow drafts AI translations for each language you add, applies your brand glossary and tone rules, and lets you review and edit before publishing through Shopify's native Translations API with no theme edits. Every change is in an audit log with rollback. See LinguaFlow.